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Knives are out for embattled FBI Director Kash Patel, despite Trump support

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On Monday, former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey – once President Trump’s top pick to lead the FBI – will be sworn into a new power-sharing role with deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino.

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Bailey’s installment comes at a perilous time for FBI Director Kash Patel, whose leadership atop the nation’s premier law enforcement agency is under fire, according to ten sources from multiple federal offices granted anonymity to speak freely. The White House’s reasoning to create an unprecedented office for Bailey has not been explained and left FBI leadership confused, two people at the agency said.

«The White House, Bondi, Blanche have no confidence in Kash,» one source with knowledge of ongoing personnel discussions said. «Pam in particular cannot stand him. Blanche either,» they said, referring to Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche.

Bondi and Blanche denied the characterization, and White House officials denied any plans to remove Director Patel from his position.

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KASH PATEL’S FALSE START ON CHARLIE KIRK KILLER DRAWS SCRUTINY, BUT FBI NABBED SUSPECT IN THE END

Utah Governor Spencer Cox and FBI Director Kash Patel arrive at a press conference regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah on Thursday, September 11, 2025. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)

But allies of President Trump and Patel’s harshest critics have begun to circulate word that contingency plans for Patel’s ouster are forming. They also claim his hopeful successor, Andrew Bailey, made clear that he would not leave his post as Missouri’s AG – or abandon his aspirations to run for state governor – only to serve as Patel’s number two.

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Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, Bailey, who starts at the Bureau on September 15th, would be eligible to fill the FBI Director post – should it become vacant – after he has been employed by the FBI for at least 90 days.

Multiple sources close to Trump acknowledged the president was not thrilled with some past episodes of Patel’s performance – including a public feud with AG Bondi over the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. One senior White House official involved in personnel decisions also framed Patel’s botched communications during the manhunt for Charlie Kirk’s assassin as something Patel likely wished he could do differently, if he could do it all over again. Trump did not call for any action to be taken in response to it, the person said.

Patel’s purported off-ramp, which the White House denies, would not involve his firing but a reassignment to another administration role, according to multiple people who described it. 

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«He’ll get Billy Long-ed,» one person said. Less than two months after his Senate confirmation, recent former IRS Commissioner Billy Long was nominated to become the next U.S. ambassador to Iceland.

Such decisions would originate from the White House, and a senior official involved in decision-making there dismissed the allegations as baseless and even wishful thinking from figures who might benefit. Three sources also pointed out co-Deputy Director Dan Bongio’s days are more likely numbered than Patel’s, as he threatened to quit amid fallout from the Epstein feud with Bondi.

Dan Bongino walking

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Deputy Director Dan Bongino leaves after meeting with Republican lawmakers to discuss President Donald Trump’s «Big, Beautiful Bill» at the U.S. Capitol on June 25, 2025, in Washington, D.C.  (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Bongino declined to respond to claims from anonymous sources. In a phone call, he emphasized the FBI’s accomplishments in the short tenure of the new administration, including the success of Operation Summer Heat against violent crime nationwide.

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After DOJ leadership announced Bailey’s new position, Patel’s allies began quietly inquiring with figures inside and outside the administration about whispers of plans for his departure. Some of the claims were less whispers than shouts, with some going so far as to claim White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was supportive of plans to replace Patel.

Wiles strongly denied ever making such statements and described Kash as a friend of many years.

NEW FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR ANDREW BAILEY BEGINS WORK ALONGSIDE BONGINO

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Bailey said in a statement to FOX, «Any suggestion that I was brought in to replace anyone in leadership at the FBI or spin my appointment into a sign of division, is simply false – I am honored to serve the FBI and Department of Justice as we work together to keep our nation safe.»

Wiles also told FOX, discussions surrounding Bailey’s hiring pertained only to the co-deputy director job he is set to serve in, starting Monday.

Fox is told Patel has received ongoing guidance from Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on improving his working relationship with Bondi. A senior White House official close to President Trump also expressed a desire for Patel to limit his presence on social media, given the gravity of the position he holds.

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Patel’s conduct online sparked the latest flashpoint in concerns over his ability to effectively carry out his duties as FBI Director.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox speaks alongside FBI Director Kash Patel at a press conference following the assassination of Charlie Kirk

Utah Governor Spencer Cox speaks alongside FBI Director Kash Patel at a press conference regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah on Thursday, September 11, 2025.  (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)

On Thursday, investigators in Orem, Utah delayed an afternoon press conference citing «rapid developments» as Patel jetted in from New York to appear alongside Gov. Spencer Cox. When officials took to the podium late in the evening, the FBI Director did not speak. Multiple sources told FOX he was forcefully instructed not to – adding that investigators had still not identified a suspect when the briefing was delayed.

The unusual field appearance from the FBI Director – which current and former agents say can grind time-sensitive fieldwork to a halt – followed Patel’s hasty announcement on social media Wednesday that «the subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody.»  The news came as an apparent surprise to local authorities about to deliver an update in a televised briefing, who indicated the killer was still at large. Shortly after, the FBI clarified that two people had been questioned and released, and the search was ongoing.

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«Total amateur hour,» one federal official said of the incident.

The back-to-back communications fumbles sparked fury from AG Bondi, Deputy AG Blanche, and the White House, multiple sources told FOX. On Friday, when authorities announced that the 22-year-old Utah man suspected of Kirk’s murder was in custody, Governor Spencer Cox took the leading role in handling the press. There was concern, one source told FOX, that «letting Kash talk much could f*ck up the prosecution».

Asked about this, a DOJ source denied direct knowledge, but said successful prosecutions generally require limits on what is said about an investigation.

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Bondi and Blanche told FOX in a joint statement, «We work with Director Patel every single day and fully support his leadership at the FBI. The suspect is in handcuffs today because of the outstanding work of Director Patel and our law enforcement partners. Any suggestion to the contrary does not reflect the reality of our strong working relationship and shared commitment to protecting the American people.»

But Patel’s performance as FBI Director was under the microscope long before Kirk’s horrific killing gripped the administration this week.

MAN ARRESTED FOR SICKENING ACT AT CHARLIE KIRK MEMORIAL OUTSIDE TURNING POINT HQ

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Kash Patel

FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during a press conference following the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University on September 12, 2025 in Orem, Utah.  (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

On the same day Kirk was shot, three former high-ranking FBI officials filed a lawsuit accusing Patel, Bondi, and their agencies of unlawfully firing them as part of a political purge directed by the DOJ and the White House – something Patel promised against in Senate confirmation hearings.

The larger concern, according to those familiar with the litigation, is Patel allegedly wielded authority belonging solely to the president, citing Article II of the Constitution in dismissal letters he signed. The misstep, they say, creates a legal minefield for the FBI, DOJ, and Executive Office of the President.

«Either way, it’s bad: Kash cannot exercise the powers of the president, and the president can’t fire these officials,» a source with direct knowledge of the lawsuit said.

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The filing reads, «Article II of the Constitution and the laws of the United States do not vest any such authority with the Director of the FBI. Article II provides authority for the President, and the President alone, to appoint principal officers, concomitant with the power to remove them «at will.» None of Plaintiffs are principal officers and, more importantly, the FBI Director is not the President.»

A senior law enforcement official said, «The admin could very well lose in court, and it will be because of Kash’s big mouth, making the president look like an ass.»

a split image showing a person of interest in the murder of charlie kirk

The FBI released two photos on Thursday of a new person of interest in the murder of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. (FBI Salt Lake City)

The Department of Justice declined to comment on the pending litigation. But legal limits on presidential power to remove officials from their posts are currently being tested in the courts. Recently, the Supreme Court allowed removals of political appointees at independent boards. Although the FBI officials involved in this case are not politically appointed, the scope of Article II authority is part of a live legal debate.

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Some analysts reportedly note this case could wind up costing the president a deposition, citing Patel’s finger-pointing at Trump.

«[Patel] stated that Driscoll needed to understand that «the FBI tried to put the President in jail and he hasn’t forgotten it,» the lawsuit reads.

Patel stated that in order to keep his own job, he had to fire agents who had worked on investigations into President Trump regardless of their retirement eligibility status, according to the suit filed by Former Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll, former Assistant Director in Charge (ADIC) of the Washington DC Field Office Steven Jensen, and Spencer Evans, a longtime FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC).

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The lawsuit, FOX is told, will likely now be referred to the DOJ Inspector General in what sources described as a ‘double-whammy’ for the administration. The Office of the Inspector General also declined to comment.

The subject could also come up when Patel testifies before House and Senate committees next week.

A source close to the attorney general described her focus as tirelessly fixated on the business of the DOJ.

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In a statement to FOX, AG Bondi said, «Our only priority is to continue working together with the FBI to make America safer by ensuring murderers and violent criminals face the most severe justice. Director Patel and the FBI have worked tirelessly with my agencies and state partners, leading to the arrest of the suspect in the assassination of my friend, Charlie.

Kash Patel speaks in Congressional hearing

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel testifies before the House Appropriations Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 07, 2025 in Washington, DC.  (Chip Somodevilla)

A spokesperson for the White House also chastised those stoking discussion of Patel’s ouster. «Director Patel and his team worked night and day to find this murderer and bring him to justice. Anyone who doubts his resolve and dedication – especially when Charlie was such a close friend to him- simply is using this extremely sad moment in a disgusting act of political gamesmanship. The focus was on catching this killer, and he will face the full wrath of the justice system,» Communications Director Steven Cheung said.

Still, Patel made plans on Friday to visit President Trump in Bedminster this weekend, as critical news reports about his performance began mounting.

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Patel’s office declined to provide on-the-record comment. A source close to Patel acknowledged to Fox, «Yes, tensions were incredibly high yesterday and the day before. Yes, people were probably mad that things weren’t moving faster. Tensions have since subsided and things took a turn for the better today with the capture of Robinson.»

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The source also said, «Over the past few months, Kash has built a positive relationship with Susie Wiles.»

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Saturday, President Trump told Fox News Digital, «I’m very proud of the FBI. Kash – and everyone else – they have done a great job.»

Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.

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kash patel,charlie kirk,us,politics,donald trump,fbi

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Ucrania atacó con drones una importante planta de gas de Rusia

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Drones ucranianos atacaron durante la noche una importante planta de procesamiento de gas en el sur de Rusia, provocando un incendio y obligando a suspender los envíos de gas desde Kazajistán, informaron el domingo las autoridades rusas y kazajas.

Mientras tanto, el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump sugirió que Ucrania podría tener que ceder territorio a cambio de poner fin a la invasión rusa, en el último de los aparentes cambios de postura sobre cómo buscar la paz.

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La planta de Orenburg, operada por el gigante estatal del gas Gazprom y ubicada en una región del mismo nombre cerca de la frontera con Kazajistán, forma parte de un complejo de producción y procesamiento que es una de las instalaciones más grandes de su tipo en el mundo, con una capacidad anual de 45.000 millones de metros cúbicos. Maneja condensado de gas del campo Karachaganak de Kazajistán, junto con los propios campos de petróleo y gas de Orenburg.

Según el gobernador regional, Yevgeny Solntsev, los ataques con drones incendiaron un taller en la planta y dañaron parte de ella. El Ministerio de Energía de Kazajistán indicó el domingo, citando una notificación de Gazprom, que la planta no puede procesar temporalmente gas originario de Kazajistán, “debido a una situación de emergencia tras un ataque con drones”.

El Estado Mayor de Ucrania declaró en un comunicado el domingo que se había producido un “incendio a gran escala” en la planta de Orenburg y que una de sus unidades de procesamiento y purificación de gas resultó dañada.

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Los ataques

Ucrania ha intensificado los ataques en los últimos meses a instalaciones energéticas rusas que, según afirma, financian y alimentan directamente el esfuerzo bélico de Moscú.

Mientras tanto, fiscales ucranianos afirman que Moscú está modificando sus bombas aéreas guiadas para atacar a civiles más profundamente en Ucrania. Las autoridades locales en Járkov dijeron que Rusia atacó un barrio residencial utilizando por primera vez una nueva bomba aérea propulsada por cohetes.

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La fiscalía regional de Járkov señaló en un comunicado el sábado por la noche que Rusia utilizó el arma, llamada UMPB-5R, que puede viajar hasta 130 kilómetros, en un ataque a la ciudad de Lozava el sábado por la tarde. La ciudad se encuentra a 150 kilómetros (93 millas) al sur de Járkiv, una distancia considerable para que el arma vuele.

La planta de Orenburg, operada por el gigante estatal del gas Gazprom. Foto Reuters

Rusia continuó atacando otras partes de Ucrania más cerca de la línea del frente. En la región de Dnipropetrovsk, al menos 11 personas resultaron heridas después de que drones rusos impactaran en el área de Shakhtarske. Al menos 14 edificios de cinco pisos y una tienda resultaron dañados, dijo el gobernador regional interino, Vladyslav Haivanenko.

El Estado Mayor de Ucrania también afirmó que un ataque separado con drones alcanzó la refinería de petróleo de Novokuibyshevsk en Rusia, en la región de Samara cerca de Orenburg, provocando un incendio y dañando sus principales unidades de refinado.

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La instalación de Novokuibyshevsk, operada por el gigante ruso del gas Rosneft, tiene una capacidad anual de 4,9 millones de toneladas y produce más de 20 tipos de productos derivados del petróleo. Las autoridades rusas no reconocieron de inmediato la afirmación ucraniana ni hablaron sobre los daños.

El Ministerio ruso de Defensa dijo en un comunicado el domingo temprano que sus defensas antiaéreas habían derribado 45 drones ucranianos durante la noche, incluyendo 12 sobre la región de Samara, uno sobre la región de Orenburg y 11 sobre la región de Saratov, vecina de Samara.

A su vez, la fuerza aérea de Ucrania informó el domingo que Rusia lanzó durante la noche 62 drones en territorio ucraniano. Sostuvo que 40 de estos fueron derribados o desviados debido a interferencias electrónicas.

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Trump dice que Ucrania podría tener que ceder territorio para la paz

Trump pareció inclinarse nuevamente hacia presionar a Ucrania para que renuncie a recuperar el territorio que ha perdido ante Rusia, a cambio de poner fin a la agresión de Moscú.

Preguntado en una entrevista con Fox News realizada el jueves si el presidente ruso Vladimir Putin estaría dispuesto a terminar la guerra “sin tomar propiedades significativas de Ucrania”, Trump respondió: “Bueno, él va a tomar algo”.

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“Ellos lucharon y él tiene muchas propiedades. Ha ganado ciertas propiedades”, declaró Trump. “Somos la única nación que entra, gana una guerra y luego se va”.

La entrevista se emitió el domingo en “Sunday Morning Futures” de Fox News, pero se realizó antes de que Trump hablara con Putin y Volodimir Zelenski la semana pasada.

Residentes cerca de su edificio de apartamentos, alcanzado por un ataque con drones rusos, en medio del ataque de Rusia contra Ucrania, en la ciudad de Shakhtarske, en la región de Dnipropetrovsk, Ucrania. Foto ReutersResidentes cerca de su edificio de apartamentos, alcanzado por un ataque con drones rusos, en medio del ataque de Rusia contra Ucrania, en la ciudad de Shakhtarske, en la región de Dnipropetrovsk, Ucrania. Foto Reuters

Los comentarios representaron otro cambio de posición sobre la guerra por parte del mandatario norteamericano. En las últimas semanas, Trump había mostrado una creciente impaciencia con Putin y expresó una mayor disposición a ayudar a Ucrania a ganar la guerra.

En la entrevista del jueves, no se comprometió a enviar los misiles Tomahawk solicitados por Ucrania, diciendo “lo estoy considerando” pero expresando preocupación por agotar las reservas de armas dentro de Estados Unidos.

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“Los necesitamos para nosotros también”, indicó Trump. “No podemos dar todas nuestras armas a Ucrania. Simplemente no podemos hacer eso”.

Rusos y ucranianos entrevistados por The Associated Press la semana pasada expresaron esperanzas de progreso en una próxima cumbre entre Trump y Putin en Budapest, Hungría, pero dijeron que no anticipaban un gran avance.

Los dos líderes acordaron en una llamada telefónica el jueves reunirse en las próximas semanas, según Trump, quien también se reunió con Zelenski en la Casa Blanca el viernes.

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Contrario a las esperanzas de Kiev, Trump no se comprometió a proporcionarle Tomahawks tras esa reunión. Los misiles serían las armas de mayor alcance en el arsenal de Ucrania y le permitirían atacar objetivos en el interior de Rusia, incluida Moscú, con precisión.

Las entregas de Tomahawks podrían ayudar a presionar al Kremlin a negociar, dicen los analistas, después de que Trump expresara frustración por la negativa de Putin a ceder en aspectos clave de un posible acuerdo de paz.

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Donald Trump acusó a Gustavo Petro de ser un líder narco y suspendió toda ayuda financiera a Colombia

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El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, acusó este domingo a su homólogo colombiano, Gustavo Prieto, de ser “un líder del narcotráfico” y anunció el fin de la ayuda financiera a Colombia por su supuesta inacción en la lucha contra este flagelo.

“El presidente colombiano Gustavo Petro es un líder del narcotráfico que incentiva la producción masiva de drogas, tanto en campos grandes como pequeños, por toda Colombia. Se ha convertido, con diferencia, en el mayor negocio de Colombia, y Petro no hace nada para detenerlo, a pesar de los pagos y subsidios a gran escala de EE.UU.”, indicó Trump en Truth Social.

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Leé también: Israel advirtió que Hamas “pagará un alto precio por cada disparo y cada violación del alto el fuego”

La acusación coincidió con el anuncio de un nuevo ataque estadounidense a una embarcación supuestamente de narcotraficantes en el Caribe y que el Pentágono vinculó al Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) de Colombia.

“A partir de hoy, estos pagos, o cualquier otra forma de pago o subsidio, dejarán de hacerse a Colombia. El propósito de esta producción de drogas es la venta masiva de productos a Estados Unidos, causando muerte, destrucción y estragos”, añadió el mandatario estadounidense.

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Además, amenazó con que si Petro no cerraba “estos campos de exterminio de inmediato”, Estados Unidos “se los cerrará”.

La respuesta de Gustavo Petro

El mandatario colombiano reaccionó en X y aseguró que su par estadounidense “está engañado” por sus asesores.

“Le recomiendo a Trump leer bien a Colombia y determinar en qué parte están los narcos y en qué parte están los demócratas”, añadió.

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El presidente colombiano, Gustavo Petro (Foto: REUTERS/Yves Herman)

Washington retiró el mes pasado a Colombia la condición de país aliado en la lucha contra el narcotráfico. Se trata de una certificación por la que recibía cientos de millones de dólares de Estados Unidos.

Colombia es el país sudamericano que más ayuda financiera recibe de Washington, según datos del gobierno estadounidense, con más de 740 millones de dólares desembolsados en 2023, el último año del que se dispone de información completa.

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Leé también: Israel bombardeó el sur de la Franja de Gaza tras un presunto ataque de Hamas y peligra el acuerdo de paz

La mitad de estos pagos se destina a la lucha contra las drogas. El resto apoya programas humanitarios y alimentarios.

“Yo respeto la historia, la cultura y los pueblos de los EEUU. No son enemigos míos (…) El problema es con Trump, no con los EEUU”, dijo Petro.

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Esta decisión se produce además en medio del “conflicto armado” que Estados Unidos declaró recientemente contra el narcotráfico, y que incluyó el bombardeo de hasta seis supuestas embarcaciones de narcotraficantes en el mar Caribe.

El despliegue de Estados Unidos en el Caribe, que comenzó en agosto bajo la justificación de combatir el narcotráfico cerca de las costas de Venezuela, incluye el empleo de aviones y naves por parte del país norteamericano.

Sin embargo, causó una tensión creciente entre Washington y el Gobierno de Nicolás Maduro, que ve la operación como el preludio de un posible ataque contra el país.

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Nuevo ataque en el Caribe

La acusación se conoció en momentos en que Estados Unidos llevó a cabo otro ataque contra una embarcación presuntamente cargada de drogas en aguas internacionales, en el que murieron tres “narcoterroristas”, dijo el secretario de Defensa estadounidense, Pete Hegseth.

El ataque, perpetrado el viernes, tuvo como objetivo una embarcación afiliada a la guerrilla colombiana ELN que “navegaba por una ruta conocida de narcotráfico y transportaba cantidades sustanciales de narcóticos”, dijo Hegseth en X.

No especificó dónde se produjo el ataque, pero indicó que la embarcación operaba en una zona supervisada por el Comando Sur, que opera las operaciones militares estadounidenses en Latinoamérica.

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Este es el último ataque estadounidense conocido desde que en agosto Washington desplegara buques de guerra en aguas internacionales del Caribe con el argumento de frenar el tráfico de drogas hacia Estados Unidos.

(Con información de AFP y EFE)

Colombia, Donald Trump, Gustavo Petro

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Anti-Israel radicals from ‘global intifada’ movement join ‘No Kings’ protests

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New York City organizers embedded in the global intifada to destroy the state of Israel moved Friday to join the controversial «No Kings» protests planned for today, despite the peace deal reached between Israel and Hamas.

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«UAW Labor for Palestine» and «NYC Labor for Palestine» quietly posted a call-to-action for the «Palestine Labor Solidarity Contingent» to meet Saturday at 11 a.m. at Duarte Square between Grand Street and Canal Street in lower Manhattan and then flow into the #NoKings protests planned to protest President Donald Trump.

They’re not alone. Around the country, anti-Israel blocs are slotting themselves into the «No Kings» protests as a «Palestine Contingent» and «Socialist Contingent,» positioning their messages «front and center,» as Seattle activists put it, «from Providence to Palestine.»

‘NO KINGS’ ORGANIZER DISCOURAGES VIOLENCE FOLLOWING COAST-TO-COAST ARRESTS

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Washington, Aug. 16 — Protesters gathered in Dupont Circle and marched to the White House to oppose President Donald Trump’s federalization of the Washington police department and the deployment of federal agencies and the National Guard. (Fox News Digital/Emma Woodhead) (Fox News Digital/Emma Woodhead)

The alignment underscores a strategic pivot in the global intifada’s next phase, experts say, carrying the anti-Israel message into any high-energy civic protest, even after Hamas agreed to a ceasefire by linking «Free Palestine» to domestic fights like ICE, police and «fascism.»

Billionaire donor George Soros is reportedly funding many of the organizations leading the «No Kings» protests, like Indivisible, whose co-founders, Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin, received a $3 million two-year grant last year from Soros’s Open Society Foundations for «social welfare activities.» Details about the «Palestine Contingent» weaving into the «No Kings» protests raises new questions about the way big Democratic donors like Soros are funneling nonprofit dollars into a professional protest industry that is fractious, divisive and partisan, potentially in violation of tax and nonprofit laws.

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‘NO KINGS’ MOVEMENT AND WHAT IT WANTS: INSIDE THE MESSAGE DRIVING SATURDAY’S NATIONWIDE PROTESTS

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Anti-Israel protesters demonstrate in NYC on Oct. 5, 2024, ahead of the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. (Adam Gray for Fox News Digital)

Behind the emotion and patriotic imagery of the protests, a Fox News Digital investigation revealed that the movement’s polished «pro-democracy» branding masks a coordinated network of Democratic tax-exempt nonprofits and labor unions, political action committees, coalitions and for-profit protest consultants that include some of the most virulent activists against Israel, including self-declared socialist groups like the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Democratic Socialists of America and Students for a Democratic Society. 

According to a public database of the protest’s organizers, compiled by the Pearl Project, a journalism initiative, the protest’s «partners» include 265 mostly nonprofit organizations, including some anti-Israel groups, like Jewish Voice for Peace, exploiting their nonprofit benefits to wage a political war against the sitting president. Their nonprofit status shields them from paying taxes on most of their total annual revenues of $2.9 billion, even while they engage in partisan work they aren’t supposed to be doing. Critics say they are allegedly skirting, if not violating, tax and nonprofit laws. Event organizers didn’t return requests for comment.

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«They call it ‘No Kings,’ but what they’ve built is an empire of tax-exempt organizations doing the Democratic Party’s work on the taxpayer’s dime,» said Jennica Pounds, a computer scientist who runs a platform, DataRepublican.com, following the money on these organizations. «They are using every excuse in the book, from immigration to Israel, to rage-bait America. There is nothing ‘charitable’ about their professional protest enterprise, and they should be investigated for fomenting so much hate in America behind the shield of ‘charity work.’» 

Protesters hold signs and march through city streets during a

People march during a «No Kings» movement protest in Los Angeles, California, on June 14, amid ongoing demonstrations against a series of federal immigration raids. (David McNew/Getty Images)

Already, Trump has said that he has directed the Justice Department to investigate possible violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has opened an investigation that follows the money to anti-Israel groups, including some of the groups who will be bringing their protest signs to the «No Kings» demonstrations. 

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital, «The Trump administration and the Republican Congress are committed to countering this network of left-wing violence.»

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Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson called the protests a «hate America rally.» Indeed, on June 14, at the «No Kings» protest in Philadelphia, activists from the «Palestinian Contingent,» including activists from the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Democratic Socialists of America, hissed as a woman sang the national anthem. 

«Booooo! Boooooo!» they yelled, covering their faces in keffiyehs, carrying Palestinian flags and heckling bystanders, «Zionist!» 

Pro-Palestine protestors wave flags throughout midtown Manhattan in New York City

Pro-Palestine protestors wave flags throughout midtown Manhattan in New York City on Friday, November 17, 2023. The demonstrators marched through the city to demand a ceasefire from Israeli troops within Gaza. (Stephen Yang for Fox News Digital)

While organizers insist the movement transcends party lines, its structure tells a different story. 

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The protest network’s official «partners» include 24 Democratic political action committees that make no secret of their partisan agenda, dedicated to electing Democratic politicians. Among them are the mega-organizing groups Indivisible ActionHollywood Democrats and the Democratic National Committee’s Washtenaw County Democratic Party in Michigan, Westside Democratic Headquarters in Los Angeles, Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club in northern California, 504 Democratic Club and College Democrats of America.

«They call it ‘No Kings,’ but what they’ve built is an empire of tax-exempt organizations doing the Democratic Party’s work on the taxpayer’s dime.»  — Jennica Pounds, of DataRepublican.com

The motto of Field Team 6, another political action committee, is «Register Democrats. Save the World.» However, those PACs are just one layer of a much larger partisan infrastructure. 

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About one-third, or 79 groups, behind the «No Kings» protests hold 501(c)(3) status, meaning their donors receive tax deductions while the groups face strict restrictions to do «charitable» work, not political work. They are supposed to be nonpartisan. Yet most have clearly stated political agendas. 

On its donation page, one of the protest partners, «Build the Resistance,» states a partisan mission to «fight against autocracy, fascism, and donald [sic].» Donations go to Oil and Gas Action Network, a 501(c)(3) that reported $1.9 million in revenues in its last tax filing.

Another 100 are 501(c)(4) political nonprofits that may do limited lobbying but still cannot devote themselves primarily to political work. Meanwhile, 24 are 501(c)(5) labor union nonprofits, like the labor unions marching against Israel in New York and the San Francisco Bay Area, that also have limits on the amount of political work they can do.

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No Kings protest in Los Angeles

«No Kings» protests against the Trump administration are expected to be held in cities nationwide on Oct. 18, 2025.  (Ringo Chiu/AFP via Getty Images)

It’s clear that the protests are all about politics. The protest’s own internal online «toolkit» mentions Trump 12 times and describes the mobilization explicitly as a direct stand against «the Trump administration,» «Trump and his enablers,» «President Trump’s authoritarian takeover» in a partisan-centered campaign.

In Rhode Island, the «Free Palestine Contingent» activists will march «FROM PROVIDENCE TO PALESTINE» to «FIGHT FASCISM! FIGHT GENOCIDE.» It connects the battles against ICE law enforcement officers and the battles of Palestinians, noting, «Military occupations and ICE violence are wreaking havoc in Black and brown communities in D.C., L.A., Chicago — and here in Providence. On the streets of U.S. cities, the same weapons and surveillance technologies the Israeli military has used to devastate Gaza are being used in escalated ways against us. What we allow fascists to do in Palestine, they will do to the entire world — and it is our duty to resist them and fight for a free Palestine.

In northern California, activists at «Bay Area Labor 4 Palestine» and Service Employees International Union Local 1021 announced yesterday, «The fight for a liberated Palestine is not over and cannot be ignored,» over a graphic for the «No Kings» protest. They instructed followers to «Bring flags, signs, keffiyehs and art» to the «No Kings» march in Oakland, Calif., at Wilma Chan Park off Jackson Street. 

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In New York City, the «Palestine Labor Solidarity Contingent» said its message would be very specific: «STOP ARMING ISRAEL! FUND OUR COMMUNITIES, NOT GENOCIDE & OCCUPATION! END ICE, MILITARY & POLICE TERROR…HANDS OF VENEZUELA!»

Anti-Trump "No Kings" Protests Pop Up Across The Country

People march in the «No Kings» protest along Fifth Avenue on June 14, 2025, in New York, New York.  (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Across the country, in Washington state, activists from «Seattle Against War» yesterday celebrated local organizers adding an anti-Israel activist, Tariq Ra’ouf, to the official #NoKings speaker lineup, noting it will be a «great opportunity for us to support the demands of Palestinians from the belly of the beast!»

The Party for Socialism and Liberation’s local chapter in Syracuse, N.Y., posted a similar poster with the local chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, which has Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani as its political candidate in New York City.

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In Charlotte, N.C., the local chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation put out a call to members to assemble at 10 a.m. tomorrow for the local #NoKings protest at First Ward Park: «JOIN THE PALESTINE CONTINGENT @ THE ‘NO KINGS’ RALLY…MEET AT THE PLAYGROUND.»

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Pro-Palestine protestors make their way through Manhattan after marching across the Brooklyn Bridge

Pro-Palestine protestors wave flags as they arrive in Manhattan after marching across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City on Saturday, December 19, 2023. Demonstrators began at the Brooklyn Museum, walking to midtown Manhattan to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. (Stephen Yang for Fox News Digital.)

With local partners, including the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Jewish Voice for Peace, activists at the Party for Socialism and Liberation noted that, post-ceasefire, they will «continue to fight for a free Palestine.» Some of the groups in the Palestine Contingent are part of the wider network of publicly acknowledged partners of the protests, like 50501.

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In Eugene, Ore., activists with the Party for Socialism and Liberation are rallying members to meet the «Socialist Contingent» at the corner of Mill Road and Eighth Avenue to «march for a free Palestine» and get ICE officers «OUT of our communities.»

In Portland, a local Palestinian American activist announced, «The Nakba Is Still Not Over!» in a reference to the «humiliation» over the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. She summoned activists to the «No Kings» protests: «‼️SHOW UP FOR PALESTINE‼️»



us protests,donald trump,politics

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